Focused optical configuration for NSMS probes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9766156-B2
Application number	US-201314774574-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 18, 2013
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	Sep 19, 2017
Grant date	Sep 19, 2017

Abstract

A method for configuring a sensor of a non-interference stress management system is disclosed. The method may include determining a focal distance between a light transmitting fiber and a transmit lens, the focal distance configured to focus light from the transmit fiber to form a focused transmit beam, the transmit beam targeting a reflective structure. The method may further include positioning the light transmitting fiber and the transmit lens, wherein the light transmitting fiber and the transmit lens are separated by a transmit gap based on the focal distance and positioning a light receptive fiber and a receive lens to receive a focused reflected beam from the reflective structure, wherein the light receptive fiber is separated from the receive lens by a receive gap based on the focal distance.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for monitoring structural data associated with a structure of a gas turbine engine, wherein the structure includes a reflective surface, the method comprising:
positioning a sensor of a non-interference stress management system to monitor the structure, the sensor comprising:
a light transmitting fiber;
a transmit lens;
a light receptive fiber; and
a receive lens;

determining a focal distance between the light transmitting fiber and the transmit lens, wherein the focal distance is selected to allow the transmit lens to focus light from the light transmitting fiber to form a focused transmit beam, the transmit beam targeting the reflective surface;
positioning the light transmitting fiber and the transmit lens, wherein the light transmitting fiber and the transmit lens are separated by a transmit gap based on the focal distance; and
positioning a light receptive fiber and a receive lens to receive a focused reflected beam from the reflective structure, wherein the light receptive fiber is separated from the receive lens by a receive gap based on the focal distance.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reflective structure is a rotating airfoil of the gas turbine engine.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising reporting the measured structural data to a local memory.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising reporting the measured structural data to a ground based memory.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the structural data is monitored during a flight cycle.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the structural data is monitored during a test cycle.

7. A system for monitoring structural data associated with a structure of a gas turbine engine, wherein the structure includes a reflective surface, the system comprising:
a sensor of a non-interference stress mana
gement system configured to monitor the structure, the sensor comprising:
a light transmitting fiber;
a transmit lens having a focal distance between the light transmitting fiber and the transmit lens, the transmit fiber and the transmit lens being separated by a transmit gap based on the focal distance, wherein the focal distance is selected to allow the transmit lens to focus light from the light transmitting fiber to form a focused transmit beam, the transmit beam targeting the reflective surface;
a light receptive fiber positioned to receive a focused reflected beam from the reflective structure; and
a receive lens, positioned to receive a focused reflected beam from the reflective structure, wherein the light receptive fiber is separated from the receive lens by a receive gap based on the focal distance.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the reflective structure is a rotating airfoil of the gas turbine engine.

9. The system of claim 7 , further comprising a local memory configured to receive the measured structural data.

10. The method of claim 7 , further comprising a ground based memory configured to receive the measured structural data.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the structural data is monitored during a flight cycle.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein the structural data is monitored during a test cycle.

Assignees

• United Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Hockaday Bruce

Classifications

• G01M11/083 Primary

  by using an optical fiber in contact with the device under test [DUT] · CPC title

• F05D2270/804

  Optical devices · CPC title

• F01D21/003

  Arrangements for testing or measuring (for measuring vibrations G01H) · CPC title

• G01M11/081

  by using a contact-less detection method, i.e. with a camera · CPC title

• G01M15/14 Primary

  Testing gas-turbine engines or jet-propulsion engines · CPC title